Why the White House is betting billions on floating giants in the age of hypersonic missiles<\/p>\n
By the standards of modern naval history,\u00a0President Donald Trump\u2019s unveiled plan to build battleships for the US Navy was a genuinely extraordinary announcement. Battleships have not been built since World War II. The new American ships, Trump said, will feature record-breaking displacement and the most advanced weapons ever put to sea.
\nSo here they are: Trump-class battleships for the US Navy, courtesy of President Trump. This is, of course, about more than simply immortalizing his name. The plan envisions the construction of 20 to 25 massive warships, each displacing roughly 30,000 to 40,000 tons. One suspects that the prestige of Russia\u2019s heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov \u2013\u00a0Project 11442M \u2013 may have been keeping Trump awake at night. His answer is a ship even larger than the nuclear flagship of the Russian Navy.
\nTrump declared that the battleships\u00a0will be \u201cthe fastest, the biggest, and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built.\u201d\u00a0
\n\u201cEach one of these will be the largest battleship in the history of our country, the largest battleship in the history of the world ever built,\u201d\u00a0he said
\n\u201cWe make the greatest equipment in the world, by far, nobody\u2019s even close. But we don\u2019t produce them fast enough,\u201d\u00a0President\u00a0added.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Breaking the ice: How Russia\u2019s nuclear fleet outpaces rivals<\/p>\n
The current plan is as follows: construction will begin with a lead ship named USS Defiant. A second ship will follow shortly thereafter. After an initial operational testing phase, an eight-ship production series is expected. Ultimately, the Navy hopes to bring the total number to 25 ships \u2013 or possibly even more.
\nBeyond their sheer size and numbers, these vessels are expected to set records for weapons density. Laser combat systems, railguns, multiple vertical launch systems loaded with hypersonic missiles, Standard Missile (SM) interceptors, and the newest generation of cruise missiles in both nuclear and conventional configurations \u2013 all of it, Trump wants aboard these ships. Many of these systems are still undergoing testing or remain in experimental stages.
\nThat naturally raises an obvious question: how effective would such massive ships be in a modern war? A handful of hypersonic anti-ship missiles \u2013 extremely difficult to intercept \u2013 and the \u201cpride of the nation\u201d could be sent to the bottom. Billions of dollars would go up in smoke. In an era of space-based surveillance and advanced anti-ship weapons, the combat lifespan of such vessels could approach zero. In that case, these enormously expensive ships would be useful for little more than parades.
\nTrump, however, disagrees. He appears to believe that his \u201cGolden Fleet\u201d will be protected by a \u201cGolden Shield\u201d \u2013\u00a0a layered missile defense system with a space-based component capable of shielding these ships from hypersonic threats anywhere in the world\u2019s oceans. Whether that will work remains unclear. But Trump seems willing to gamble. After all, if no war breaks out, the investment resembles a luxury Cadillac parked in the countryside: undeniably beautiful, unmistakably expensive \u2013 and possibly useless. Time will tell.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Beyond reach: Why America\u2019s \u2018Golden Dome\u2019 may be powerless against Russia\u2019s doomsday missile<\/p>\n
It is also worth noting that the Trump battleship program is only one piece of a much broader naval buildup. The United States is already building new ballistic missile submarines to replace the 14 Ohio-class nuclear submarines armed with Trident II missiles. Two Columbia-class submarines are currently under construction, with a total requirement of 12 boats. This program is a core \u2013 and high-priority \u2013 element of the US nuclear triad.
\nThese submarines are designed to be exceptionally quiet and advanced. Each will carry 16 Trident II missiles of a new production batch, fewer than the Ohio class. Their deployment may eventually lead to a modest reduction in the sea-based nuclear arsenal, but after 2040, the US is likely to begin building an even more advanced generation of missile submarines.
\nAt the same time, the Navy continues to build nuclear-powered aircraft carriers \u2013 the largest and most expensive warships on the planet. Two new frigates are under construction, with plans for a large series of even more advanced frigates. Attack submarines are being built as well. Naval aviation is being modernized with fifth-generation F-35 carrier aircraft and loyal-wingman drones designed to handle much of the \u201cdirty work\u201d in future maritime combat. Several missile programs are also underway.
\nTaken together, these efforts represent colossal capital investment and account for a substantial share of the overall US defense budget. It increasingly appears that Trump is deliberately pushing toward a record, with future Pentagon budgets confidently crossing the trillion-dollar threshold. For the current administration, this does not seem particularly alarming \u2013 and for now, the United States can afford it.
\nWill the world react to Trump\u2019s \u201cGolden Fleet\u201d initiative? Almost certainly. Military ambition is contagious. Turkey is building an aircraft carrier. France is constructing its first nuclear-powered carrier. The real question, however, is how Russia and China will respond.
\nRash, emotional decisions in military procurement are not our path. Russia\u2019s strength lies in hypersonic anti-ship systems, and that asymmetric advantage should continue to be developed. China, for its part, may pursue its own course, leveraging the fastest-growing shipbuilding industry in the world. But it is unlikely that Beijing will respond symmetrically to the American program. A response will come \u2013 but of a different kind. One designed to neutralize US naval dominance at sea, and at an acceptable cost.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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